Gain Cross-Cultural Awareness

Being a tourist is not the only way to travel. By getting involved with the locals you gain a lot more insight and different experiences. In a global economy cross- cultural awareness is becoming more and more important.

What is cross-cultural awareness?

Cultural awareness is “developing sensitivity and understanding of another ethnic group. Awareness and sensitivity also refer to the qualities of openness and flexibility that people develop in relation to others. Cultural awareness must be supplemented with cultural knowledge …” (Diane L. Adams (Ed.), Health issues for women of color: A cultural diversity perspective, Thousand Oaks, SAGE Publications, 1995)

So what does it take to get cross-cultural awareness?

First, you have to understand yourself, your cultural background you are coming from. This is not so easy if you never spend time in a different culture. You take everything you grow up with, all the values, the stories, the history, the do’s and don’t for granted and normal. This is your frame of reference, your starting point when heading out to discover a different culture. Try to identify your patterns of behaviour and beliefs. Then you realize the differences. While abroad or dealing with people from a different culture keep the differences in mind and try to act accordingly. It is not an easy task and it might take some practise, especially if some values are contradicting and your own ones are very important to you.

Why is cultural awareness so important?

Let me just give you an example: You design an advertising campain for eyeglasses and think that pictures showing cute animals wearing your eyeglasses would be a good idea as so many people in western countries are fond of animals and an animal always transports a good feeling. But in Thailand this campain failed, because for the Thai people animals are a lower life form and people will never wear what they are wearing.

Сultural awareness is equally important if you want to discover a country and not only see the tourist spots where money matters and the locals are patient with you because you finance their income. It starts with knowing the most important do’s and don’ts, interest in the different culture and the locals around you. Watch and learn from them and try to stay open and cross cultural awareness will come. If you do not stop at stereotypes, you soon will learn much more about their cultures and your own as well. And you will no longer take what you grow up with for granted. You will have a lot of fun and gain valuable skills.

from www.thai-experience.org/volunteer/cross-cultural-awareness